Effects of SREBP1 Gene Polymorphisms on Milk Production Traits in Dairy Sheep (Ovis aries) and Its Expression Characteristics
FENG Yu-Xin, ZHEN Hui-Min, LIU Yuan, WANG Tian-Le, WANG Wen-Ming, WANG Ji-Qing, LI Ming-Na, REN Chun-Yan, ZHOU Xue-Lan, HAO Zhi-Yun*
College of Animal Science and Technology/Gansu Engineering Lab of Genetic Improvement in Ruminants/Gansu Key Laboratory of Herbivorous Animal Biotechnology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Abstract：Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) are key regulators of milk fat synthesis, but the effects of their single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on lactation traits in dairy sheep (Ovis aries) remain unclear. In this study, 321 lactating Yuansheng Aite dairy sheep were used as experimental subjects. SNPs in the SREBP1 gene were detected by Sanger sequencing and genotyped using the penta-primer amplification refractory mutation system (PARMS). A general linear mixed model (lactation trait=population mean + genotype/allele + parity+age+random effect) was applied to analyze the effects of SNPs on lactation traits. Meanwhile, qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression profile of the SREBP1 gene in 6 tissues, including the mammary gland, of lactating sheep. Four SNPs, namely c.148+4892 G/A, c.148+5262 G/C, c.2439+115 T/C, and c.2923 G/A, were identified in the ovine SREBP1 gene. Among them, c.2923 G/A was a missense mutation, and 3 genotypes were detected at each SNP locus. Correlation analysis revealed that at the c.148+4892 G/A locus, individuals with the GG genotype had a significantly higher daily average milk yield than those with the GA genotype (P<0.05). At the c.148+5262 G/C locus, individuals with the GC genotype showed significantly higher milk fat percentage and dry matter content than those with the GG genotype (P<0.05). At the c.2923 G/A locus, individuals with the GA genotype had significantly higher dry matter content than those with the AA genotype (P<0.05). The qRT-PCR results indicated that the expression level of SREBP1 was the highest in the mammary fat pad, significantly exceeding that in the mammary parenchyma, liver, and other tissues, while its expression was the lowest in perirenal fat (P<0.05). The 3 SNPs screened in this study were shown to affect certain lactation traits in dairy sheep, this study provides a theoretical reference for the molecular breeding of lactation traits in dairy sheep.
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